


At the Water's Edge

by Wolvyrnx



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-03
Updated: 2017-04-12
Packaged: 2018-10-14 13:17:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10537269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolvyrnx/pseuds/Wolvyrnx
Summary: Along the coasts of Japan there are rumors of a mythical creature. According to the long expanded tales the creature is a stunning merman with eyes of sapphire and hair of a glittering silver. His tail, as it is said, is a brilliant green that fades into the darkest of blues. Such a creature can only exist in childish dreams and mournful delusions, and many have brushed off the rumor as just that; a rumor. When Yuuri Katsuki, the author of a wildly popular series of fantasy creature identification guides, comes to visit the small town of Hasetsu, of course he overhears about the rumor. How wouldn't he?





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The small fishing village of Hasetsu listens in on yet another retelling of their claim to fame, the Silver Merman. Minami, a talented storyteller, delivers the fable with ease, and leaves his mark on his hometown once more.

"This is the story of our town's greatest legend, the Silver Merman."

The young man seated in front of the tavern audience leaned back in his seat as the crowd cheered, some jumping out of their seats while others just met each other's eyes and sighed. This story was no secret, and hardly anyone went a day without hearing about it somewhere. Hasetsu was small after all, and rumors of a merman off its coast did not go untended.

"One day, not too long ago, a fisherman rowed out to sea for his day's work. The sun was shining, and the waves were calm."

"Minami, I heard it was a stormy day with thick clouds," someone called.

"You've heard many things while drunk, Chris. Now sit down and let me finish. No, I don't care that you own this place."

Ignoring Chris' distinct complaint about children not respecting their elders, Minami took a short breath and continued.

"While taking a short break to eat his lunch, the fisherman was startled to see a large tail splash the surface. Green scales faded into navy blue, and the tail shimmered faintly under the surface. The fisherman peered over the edge of his boat to see a splash of silver hair floating beneath the waves, and a pair of ocean blue eyes staring right back. Shocked beyond the depths of his mundane life, the fisherman ducked back into his boat and closed his eyes. That is, until he felt the boat tip to one side, and heard a voice inquire a simple task of him.

"'May I ask of you just one favor?'

"The fisherman nodded, speechless and mildly afraid. Hasetsu was a town whose inhabitants were very firm believers in respecting those above them, including creatures such as the merman leaning on his boat.

"'Never reveal what has happened here.'

"The fisherman, very aware of the situation he was in, nodded frantically, and with those words the merman was gone. He returned home that night with his nets bursting, a bewildered smile in his eyes. His wife said nothing aside from a simple comment on how plentiful the waters were for him that day. The fisherman kept his promise, his brush with myth hidden in the back of his mind. For all his life, his life was bountiful and comfortable, and he even went as far to think that the merman had blessed him. His wife persisted in asking him where such assets were coming from, but the fisherman could only shrug and shake his head.

Minami sipped at his water and grinned.

"There finally came a day when he grew so tired of his wife's pestering that the fisherman broke down and told her everything, tears rolling down his face. She scolded him for lying, telling him that no creature of such esteem and respect would dare talk to the lowest of the low, and the fisherman wept that night for his broken promise. The next day, the wife found her husband dead, and all of their prosperity stripped from them. It was her turn to lament, mourning everything she had possessed not a day earlier."

As Minami raised a hand in finale and walked off the raised podium by the bar, a soft sigh rose from the crowd, and he smirked to himself.

"Don't believe everything you hear, though. That merman is a legend, and a legend only. You won't find any half fish swimming in our oceans unless they're dead."

Minami silently celebrated the laughs thrown his way and started toward the door when a young girl approached him and tugged on his sleeve. Crouching to her level, he took her hand and slipped a small ceramic mermaid tail into it.

"What would you like to know, sweet child?"

"Mister, how do you know the merman isn't real?"

"Well, I don't. And that's half the fun."

Beaming wildly, Minami looked up at a woman who seemed to be little girl's mother, tipping the hat he wasn't wearing.

"Have a very nice rest of your week, and enjoy Hasetsu."

The woman smiled and led her daughter out of the door, and Minami rubbed one eye. It was still early; he could roam town for a bit, if he pleased. And, perhaps he did.


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, we meet our anxiety ridden protagonist, Yuuri Katsuki. He's famous under the name Henry Earl for his series of fiction books about mythical creatures, but hasn't yet written one on merfolk. Will we see him find a merman? Or will we see him find disappointment?

Tugging his suitcase through airport hallways that were far too bright and far too dim at the same time, Yuuri looked down at the blue and black jacket hooked over his arm, determined not to make eye contact with anyone. Being a famous author under a pen name was one thing; confronting people that he didn't know was another. Sometimes his anxiety would become so overwhelming that even getting out of bed was a battle of power. Hopefully it wouldn't get so violent while back here in Japan. 

Yuuri hadn't been home in years, trip after trip consuming his time in his search for mythical creatures to write about. One thing was certain, however. He knew he always had a place back at home in Hasetsu, and he knew he would be welcomed back readily at any time. Standing alone outside the airport, he pulled out his phone and dialed his mother in the cell phone lot. When she answered nearly right away, Yuuri sighed with relief.

"Mom? Yes, I am. That would be lovely."

Cars and taxis flooded the three lanes in front of him, shuttle busses picking up travelers to go to car dealerships and the occasional limousine swallowing a tired businessman. He watched the vehicles speed by him, lives that he didn’t know and people he had never seen. It wasn't until Yuuri heard his mother call his name that he saw his father’s car, a familiar navy blue CRV pulling up to the curb. He calmly returned her frantic waving, a smile lifting his cheekbones.

"Yuuri!"

His mother leapt out of the passenger seat and his father came around the front not a moment after. Tackling Yuuri in an embrace, his parents gushed their love for his books. Frantically shaking his head, Yuuri tried to tell her what he needed her to do.

"The guidebooks are so thorough, and the covers are magnificent. Yuuri, how do you do it?"

"Mom, not here! I'm trying to keep that part secret, remember?"

Yuuri whipped his head from side to side in an attempt to make sure nobody had heard her. It seemed any passersby were too absorbed in their own worlds and thoughts to be bothered by such a trivial conversation, and he calmed his thundering heartbeat. If word got out that Henry Earl, the beloved author, was just some 24 year old Japanese boy barely out of college, the world would explode.

“We can fangirl at home, alright?”

"Oh, alright. Let's go, then!"

Smiling to himself, Yuuri tucked his suitcase into the trunk and slid into the back seat, buckling himself in. Hardly five minutes passed before he was fast asleep, his head leaning gently against the window and one hand resting under his chin. Such extensive traveling had exhausted him, and as they drove his mother kept looking back at him, a fond smile decorating her face with warmth and homeliness. Yuuri slept peacefully the entire way home and finally awoke when they reached the inn. 

“Yuuri!”

Mari called lazily to her younger brother, knocking lightly on the window of the back seat. Startled, Yuuri opened his eyes and stared at her for a moment before her face registered in his mind. He threw open the door, stumbling out of the car on unsteady legs and tripping right into her arms. Mari caught him with a grunt, sighing softly to herself.

“Clumsy as usual, Yuuri.”

“Sorry.” He sighed.

Mari laughed quietly and ruffled the hair on top of Yuuri’s head, dragging him into the house. Yuuri just followed obediently, not in much of a mood to protest. Caught up in the whirlwind of his trips, the jet lag hadn’t hit him quite severely until now, and all he wanted to do was sleep.

“Are you tired? Hungry at all? Thirsty?” His father ran around him, fussing and worrying.

“Just a little tired, that’s all.”

Yuuri gave his family a light smile and pushed open the door to his room. He hadn’t been here in so long. The bed still had Vicchan’s fur all over it, though the poodle had long since died, and a faint whiff of pork still hung in the air. He breathed in deeply, home at last, and stared at the bed.

“Familiarity at its finest.”

With a sigh and a flop, Yuuri was asleep once more, sprawled haphazardly across his bed in no sort of order. With limbs everywhere and his hair a mess, Yuuri looked the perfect mess, and Mari laughed quietly to herself.

“He’s still a child after so many years.”

A bright moon lightly stepped into Yuuri’s room through the open window and he cracked open his eyes. A soft sigh escaped his lips and Yuuri sat up. Sweat stuck his hair to his neck and face, plastering his clothes to his body. With a yawn, he decided on impulse to take a walk down along the beach, which conveniently sat not more than five minutes away. It was a clear and quiet night, and it wouldn’t hurt to revisit the place he had treasured most as a younger child.

The front door clicked gently behind him and Yuuri made his way down the street to the edge of the water, digging his toes into the sand. Gazing out at the moon’s reflection on the water, he felt a sense of serenity and peace, something that hadn’t graced him in a long time. Nature had a way of calming him like nothing else could, and sometimes he would sit in the rain for hours before Mari scolded him for nearly getting himself ill. The sand was soft, the water slightly too cold for his taste, but the night was soft and the air was fresh.

The beach was empty at such an hour of the night, and only the waves lapping softly against the beach made any noise. Yuuri pulled deep breaths through his lungs as he roamed the shore, sitting on a nearby boulder and just gazing into the ocean. There were so many mysteries hidden by the placid surface, and he wondered what it would be like to know all of those secrets, to know all of the hidden workings of such a vast body of water. Perhaps he would never find out. Most likely, in fact. Yuuri laughed softly to himself.

The next morning Mari found her younger brother slumped over his open laptop, papers crumpled under his cheek and a pencil leaning against his head. She gently shook him awake, chastising him for falling asleep in such a ridiculous place. It was understandable, however; she knew firsthand the popularity of his books, and even owned a special edition of “A Traveler’s Guide to Pegasi”. He had commitments to fulfill, and there were only so many hours in a day.

“Yuuri, you should really go to bed sooner.”

“I can’t. I have a book to write, and I can’t seem to find any good ideas.”

Mari knew his series in and out, and she smiled mischievously. She knew exactly which creatures he had and hadn’t covered, though her oblivious younger brother would never know it. Now was her time to help him.

“You haven’t covered merfolk yet, you know.”

“No, I haven’t.” He suddenly sat up straight. “I haven’t written about merfolk yet. That’s the next book.”

Yuuri turned to her, a bright grin on his face. She winked and turned to leave his room, smiling wildly.

“Get writing, little brother. I’ll bring you breakfast.”

“You’re the best, Mari.”

As she left, closing the door behind her, Yuuri leaned back in his chair, an enormous yawn splitting his jaw. Where was he to begin? That was the easy part, he then realized. He lived in the very town where it had all started, for mythology’s sake. It would almost be too easy for him to write this volume. 

“Time to visit the taverns.”

Not one step out the door, a tanned young man tackled him to the ground and yelled his name. Yuuri cried out as he fell backwards, landing on his hands and rolling to a stop in the middle of the street. His glasses clattered to the ground a moment later, throwing dust into that air.

“Phicit, watch the glasses!”

Phicit scrambled to help Yuuri stand, yanking him into a tight embrace. His shout attracted a few stares, but nothing came of it and Yuuri sighed with relief. An elderly couple sitting in front of a teahouse exchanged a knowing look and smiled to each other, and Yuuri flushed deeply.

“How do you like the covers? Are they alright?”

“They’re fine! They’re beautiful, and I love them. I promise you that. But not so loud.”

“Oh, come on! Anyway, Tino is going to want to see you.”

“Tino?”

Phicit rolled his eyes and Yuuri let himself be directed down the street.

“Celestino! Publisher? Old guy with hair that’s way too long for his own good? Who else, you dunce?”

“You call him Tino? And he’s not that old.”

“I used to call him Chao Chao. You had best be glad I grew out of that.”

Running into a small bookstore, Phicit tried to refrain from screeching impatiently as Yuuri stumbled in, shaking out his hair with a hand. He pulled the author into the back storage room, where Celestino sat among stacks of books, a noticeably familiar set of ten books right by his side.

“Tino! Look who I brought with me!”

Celestino raised an eyebrow at Phicit until he saw Yuuri. Jumping to his feet, Celestino stared at Yuuri for a moment before finally smiling widely.

“The famed author is home.”

“I’m not an author, but Henry Earl is.” Yuuri narrowed his eyes playfully.

“I know, I know. I’m proud of him.”

Celestino winked and turned back to his stacks. Yuuri, a bright shade of pink, fidgeted with his hands, unaccustomed to such praise despite his successes. Pen name success felt different somehow, more detached and less personal. One day he would finally be used to it, perhaps, and then he could truly appreciate the support his fans gave him.

“Tell me when Henry is ready to publish the next volume, alright?”

“Yes, I will.”

Phicit cackled and Yuuri rolled his eyes before heading back into the streets to wander. Young children ran wild in the streets and adults conversed freely, glancing at their children once in a while. Many of the fishermen were still out, waiting for their nets or checking lobster traps, but the tavern was bound to be open, as it was Hasetsu’s biggest social gathering at any given point.

“Come with me to Giacometti Tavern?” Yuuri grinned.

“I would love to.”

The tavern was busy, though less so than the usual rush, and it was easy enough to find a table. Individual conversations blended into a low hum, small fragments of chatter audible through the noise. Yuuri slipped into a seat at the bar, politely declining Chris’ offer of a drink. 

“Chris, do you know when the next storyteller comes by?”

“Minami is coming back in a few hours. You’re welcome to go back into the arcade to wait until then.”

A select few of the townspeople, Chris included, were very familiar with Yuuri’s status as a world famous author, and though they teased him they kept his secret well. With a smile, Yuuri stood and disappeared into the arcade through the bead curtain hanging in the back door. Chris’ arcade was something of a miracle, holding games of all genres and types. Typically, it was an extra charge to get in, but Chris had given Yuuri multiple free entries.

“You’re lucky you’re my cover artist, Chu Chu.”

“Hey! Keep that quiet! Nobody is supposed to know about that either, alright?”

Yuuri snickered and roamed the aisles, looking for something that appealed to him in the moment. Finally, he pulled out a chair at a computer and opened a web browser. Typing in a simple one-word search query, Yuuri clicked on the first link that showed and leaned forward on his elbows to read.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed, and remember to share with your friends, hand me a few kudos, bookmark this, anything to spread the word. I'll need all of your support for this to succeed.
> 
> See you next level!


	3. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri finally meets Minami and they have a discussion about the legend of the Silver Merman. Meanwhile, Mila is making strong headway with her book club, which has centered itself around Henry Earl's books. What will Yuuri have to say about it?

Phicit had gone home to wait for Minami, and Chris had come into the arcade multiple times to check on him, yet Yuuri read on. Devouring fable after fable, story after story, anything pertaining to merfolk, he sat staring at the computer screen for three hours before Chris poked his head in one more time.

“Yuuri, Minami is about to begin.”

Yuuri didn’t answer right away, but he waved a hand in response. When he stepped out of the arcade door and sat down at the bar with a wide yawn, a young man with auburn hair and a splash of red bangs grinned cheekily at him.

“Just in time.”

Yuuri narrowed his eyes at Chris, who winked and shrugged. He would have to get details later. For now, it was time to listen.

“What do we want to hear tonight?”

The tavern crowd began shouting names of different stories and myths, and at a certain point many of them began to chant in unison. Minami met Yuuri’s serene gaze, a smile hiding behind his lips. As the chant grew more and more unified, Minami raised and eyebrow.

“It looks like you’ve hit the jackpot tonight, Mr. Henry Earl.”

Though the storyteller’s voice was soft, Yuuri’s blood ran cold. His steely gaze fell over Chris, who shook his head and smiled. 

“I’ll explain later.”

“You better have a good explanation, you drunkard.”

“I’m not always drunk.”

Yuuri chuckled and turned back to the podium to wait for the story.

“You all seem to have come to a decision, haven’t you?”

As the crowd cheered its assent, Minami ran a hand through his bangs and leaned one elbow on the chair arm. 

“Alright. The Silver Merman it is, then.”

Yuuri smiled faintly and leaned back on his stool to listen. Minami’s words floated gently in midair, weaving a story of myth and legend, a story of trust and loss. Yuuri listened carefully, determined to have a long talk with the storyteller after the night was done. This, if anything, was the perfect starting point for “A Traveler’s Guide to Merfolk”, and he was not wasting his chances. 

“Finally the man confessed all he had seen that morning on the sea, breaking down in tears over his shattered promise. His wife, incredulous and angry, refused to cook dinner for him and the old man went to bed weeping with a sinking heart. The next morning, she found her husband dead and her house empty of any possessions they had gained from the merman. It was her turn to weep, lamenting all of the potential her life had just lost.”

Yuuri sighed happily under his breath, clapping along with the rest of the tavern crowd. There was a loud thump as nearly simultaneously every patron stood to leave. Chris looked at Yuuri and rolled his eyes.

“They always leave immediately. I might have to start booking storytellers more often.”

“Now, what did you tell him?”

Gesturing to Minami, he stared Chris in the eye, hoping to weedle an answer out of him.

“Just that Henry Earl lived here and was actually a young Japanese man. Nothing more.”

“Then how did he know it was me when I came out of the arcade?”

“That you’ll have to directly ask him about.”

Minami was grinning cheekily, biting his bottom lip to keep from laughing. Under Yuuri’s gaze, he finally cracked, cackling wildly and nearly falling out of his chair.

“Chris is a liar. He did tell me exactly who you were when you walked out.”

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. Soon he’ll be yelling it to all of Japan, and then the entire world.”

“Don’t you want fame and recognition? Everybody does.”

“Well, no. I don’t. I like to stay undercover almost. It makes the anonymous charity donations easier.”

Minami’s eyes brightened and he straightened in his seat. Raising his eyebrows, he gazed at Yuuri with a hint of admiration and amusement.

“Impressive. I like that.”

Yuuri flushed a light pink and the storyteller chuckled. Many of the patrons were already gone, leaving just the three of them and the leader of a local book club.

“Mila, how is the book club going?”

“We’re just finishing pegasi, actually.”

Yuuri tried to avoid eye contact with the redhead, his blush deepening to a dark red. Nobody could know that he of all people was Henry Earl. He was a scrawny, skinny Japanese boy barely out of college. Henry Earl was a famous author whose books had garnered him over $30 million. Yuuri was a nobody who could barely afford a meal in the center of Hasetsu. Henry Earl gave to charities nearly monthly. It was a double life fit for any mythical creature.

“What others have you covered?”

“We’ve done griffins and hippogriffs, chimera, unicorns, and dragons.”

As Phicit snuck back in through the tavern entrance, Chris winked at him and nodded his head to Yuuri. Phicit, never one to pass on an opportunity to embarrass Yuuri, took a seat next to the writer and leaned back on the bar counter to listen in.

“Yuuri, have you read the Henry Earl books?” 

Chris glanced innocently at him and Yuuri had to turn away.

“I’m familiar, yes,” he muttered under his breath.

“Which is your favorite?”

“The guide to phoenixes.”

Mila grinned and sighed.

“I think that one will be next in the club.”

“Minami, I trust that you will be here again? I hope to learn all about the Silver Merman from you.”

When Minami smiled knowingly in response, Yuuri nodded and stood to leave, shooting a playfully venomous glare at Chris. The tavern owner chuckled and waved him off, wiping down the bar counter for closing time. Yuuri rolled his eyes and smirked to himself. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad for a few people to know his secret. But was it worth the risk of the entire world finding out? He wasn’t sure, and the prospect of his secret leaking was too much to think about at the moment. He had a book to write.

It was a calm night, cloudless and clear, and the moon shone bright through Yuuri’s bedroom window. The light from his laptop was just barely enough to illuminate his face as he tapped desperately at the keys. For whatever reason, he could not put the story of the Silver Merman to words in his style, and no matter how much he wrote and rewrote the right combinations would not come to him. Glancing out over the ocean, Yuuri sighed and closed the laptop. 

Mari was not surprised when she woke up to the sound of Yuuri making his way out the back door of the inn. He had gone out to the beach a lot since coming home, and she suspected he was restless. She understood the sentiment; the beach was a calming place to be, and had she not needed sleep she would have been doing the same as he. Turning onto her other side, she closed her eyes and was asleep once more.

Yuuri’s footprints were faint in the sand as he made his way down the beach like the nights preceding. He’d only been home a week and it was already difficult for him to handle the sight of so many familiar faces. Perhaps it was just the prospect of having to explain that he hadn’t started his next book yet. Or, maybe was it the idea that someday he no longer would be publishing, and that his readers would eventually forget about Henry Earl.

“Who is Henry Earl?” He muttered to himself.

Yuuri’s head snapped up when he heard the soft chuckle from behind the rocks. As he stared in the direction of the laugh, a pressing silence weighed down on the beach and Yuuri found himself walking slowly toward the rocks.

“Who are you? I heard that laugh.”

Yuuri narrowed his eyes and crept closer. All of a sudden, there was a small splash and a head popped up over the rocks. Long silver hair tangled within itself, shining brightly under the moon, and a pair of eyes a more intense blue than the water itself laughed giddily at him. A young lotus was tucked into the hair, petals splayed outward and curling between strands of silver.

“I see you enjoy my beach.”

“Your beach?”

Yuuri’s voice was soft, breathless, and he stared at the lotus, unable to meet the steady blue eyes the stranger bore.

“Don’t you know? All merfolk are guardians of one beach in particular. I’m Viktor, the guardian of Hasetsu beach.”

“I’m sorry, did you say merfolk? Are you a mermaid?”

“Merman, but yes. I don’t bite, I promise.”

Yuuri took a shaky step closer, watching carefully in disbelief. The legends of the Silver Merman were just that; legends. They weren’t true. And yet, here in front of him was the very root of all of the myths and tall tales. He was looking right at the Silver Merman.

“Are you real?” Yuuri swallowed.

“I am very much real. Are you?”

It was too much for him. Yuuri shook his head gently, assured that he was dreaming, and that when he woke up the next morning there would be no sign that anything at all had transpired. He needed a sign, however, to be absolutely certain.

“If you are indeed real, and if I am indeed standing here talking to you, leave me something so that in the morning I remember and know that this conversation has happened.”

Viktor smiled brightly and giggled.

“Of course, stranger. Which reminds me, what name might such a dashing young gentleman go by?”

Taken aback, Yuuri couldn’t answer for a moment. When he did, his voice cracked, and he cleared his throat to answer a second time.

“Yuuri. Yuuri Katsuki.”

“Well, Yuuri, I will leave you my lotus on one condition, and one condition only.”

He had a feeling he knew the words that would grace his ears, and he suspected that Minami did as well. If the legends were based in truth after all, then surely so was the curse.

“What would that be?”

As Viktor passed the lotus to Yuuri, one slender finger traced a petal delicately,

“Never let another hear of what has happened here.”

Yuuri’s heart dropped and his blood ran cold. The steely edge in Viktor’s eyes was one of dark injury, the eyes of one who had been betrayed far too many times and had no patience for any more. There was no forgiveness in Viktor’s piercing blue eyes, and Yuuri nodded, choked out of his words.

“Well, it was wonderful meeting you. Good luck on that book.”

With that, Viktor slipped back into the water and was gone, leaving nothing behind but small ripples and the lotus. Yuuri walked home in a daze, one hand in his pocket and the other cupped around the flower. The door to the inn clicked quietly, his bedroom door following suit, and as Yuuri collapsed onto his bed he tossed the lotus onto the table next to his laptop. If anything, it would serve as proof that Viktor existed.

The next morning, greeted by late afternoon sunshine, Yuuri sat up and rubbed his eyes, grabbing for his glasses. Immediately his stomach flipped on itself and he squinted at the table. The lotus, just as pristine and pearly white as the night before, seemed to sparkle at him from where it had landed by his laptop. Yuuri stared at it for a few minutes, wondering how he was to write his book without invoking the Viktor’s curse. 

Of course, anything he had written so far would have to be edited so that it didn’t reveal too much about the merfolk. He would then have to be sure Phicit didn’t draw anything beyond the scope of the description in the legends. Then again, nobody would know about his meeting with Viktor. He wouldn’t tell; he couldn’t tell, unless he wanted to follow the old man in the legend to the same bitter end.

“Yuuri, it’s about time you woke up. Your lunch is waiting for you.”

Mari leaned against the door frame, thoughtfully chewing a mouthful of noodles. She said nothing about the lotus, and even avoided its attraction when she walked into his room to throw open the window drapes. Yuuri, despite his usual oblivious nature, noted her blatant recognition of his strange possession and sighed lightly with relief.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

She winked subtly at him and he grinned.

“I’ll be out in a minute.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be a wild ride, so buckle up your feelings seat belts and let's take a journey through Happyland, Sadville, and every place in between!
> 
> See you next level!


End file.
